Why do we throw rubbish on the roadside? You may be wondering that after reading the story with Marco Sep from Veghel. He voluntarily picks up rubbish and was recently so shocked by the amount of rubbish on the roadside that he shared his frustration on LinkedIn. Behavioral scientist Kees Keizer does have an explanation.
First Marco’s frustration. Because he is not alone in this, says Keizer. “People are very disturbed by litter. In fact, only dog poop scores higher.”
Before we get to the why question, Keizer emphasizes that the reality is that things go well more often than not. “For many people, the basics are good and tidying up is the norm. And so they also neatly throw their rubbish in the trash. But that’s not noticeable, because we think it’s normal. But if someone carelessly rolls down their car window and throws a can outside, then that is noticeable. We don’t like that.”
“You throw something on the ground faster if there is already something.”
Fortunately, according to Keizer, a lot of litter does not end up on the ground on purpose. Often people’s intentions are good. He gives an example. “You want to put an empty can in the trash, but it’s actually just too full. So you put the can on the trash can. Without taking into account that the can can blow away and therefore fall on the floor.”
Or they forget. You’ve been in the park, you collect your things and the clutter and overlook a can.
Bright. But what about the verge next to the entrance and exit of the A50, which is full of rubbish? That is not a place where you forget your rubbish, but where you deliberately throw it out. Why are we doing that? “Convenience”, says Keizer. “But what contributes most to this is the presence of other litter. You throw something on the ground faster if there is already something there. It’s herd behavior.”
For that reason, according to Keizer, campaigns that show how much rubbish there is on the street are also counterproductive. Because then the focus is on the wrong behavior, while it is better to show the right behavior. “What Marco is doing is really very good. That’s why I wanted to see a picture of him in action. Put him and other waste pickers in the spotlight. Show the clean stuff. Showing the good is the means to influence behavior.”
“No one likes to be called to account for his behavior.”
What also works is social control. Research has been carried out into places where there is a lot of litter. Parking spaces next to the highway, alleys or industrial areas. “These are all anonymous places, with little social control. You don’t throw away your can so easily in a courtyard where all people live because there is social control there.”
Now there is a small group that does not care about anything. A group where tidying up is not the norm. “But that group is sensitive to other people. You can give a shit about a quiet coupé, but no one likes to be called to account for his behavior.”
Do you also know a roadside that is full of stray waste? Let us know where, by an e-mail to send.
READ ALSO: Marco picks waste and is shocked by the harvest: ‘I’m ashamed of the Dutchman’